CUSTOMS CLEARNACE OF POST PARCEL

           Post parcels can be sent from any part of the country even without completing customs clearance before the booking of the parcel.  As such, employment of customs house agent can be easily dispensed with.  However, it should be construed that the post parcel can be dispatched to foreign destinations without customs check.  In fact the booking post office cannot prepare the final bag for destination.  The parcel has to be routed through the foreign post office having the destination within its jurisdiction, where customs check and clearance are arranged.  At each foreign post office there are two wings-Customs Wing and Postal Wing.  The latter has to get customs examined parcels received from different post offices of the country for dispatch to foreign destination.

            In the case of post parcel there is no Shipping Bill required.  Instead a Customs Declaration Form, prescribed by the Universal Postal Union (UPU)- an international apex body coordinating activities of national postal administration to facilitate movement of postal articles among different countries of the world is required.  This document, popularly known by its code number CP2/CP3 has to be prepared in quadruplicate duly signed by the sender.  One copy is to be pasted on the parcel and two copies are to be placed inside the parcel alongwith two copies of Invoice.  Once copy is to be retained by the sender for record and future reference.

            Another document prescribed by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) is the Despatch Note, popularly known by its code number, CP2.  It has to be filled in by the sender to specify the action to be taken by the postal authority at destination if the address is not traceable or the addressee refuses to accept the parcel.  It has to be safely tagged to the parcel.

            The other prescriptions of the UPU are regarding the minimum and maximum sizes of the parcel and its maximum weight.

            Minimum size : Total surface area not be less than 140 mm X 90 mm.

Maximum size :  Lengthwise not more than 1.05 M.  Measurement of any other side of circumference 0.9M./2.00M – the two taken together.

Maximum Weight : 10 kg for most destination, 20 kg for some destinations.

       In order to ensure increased automation in the processing of import and export documentation for expeditious clearance of import and export Cargo through the Air Cargo Unit at the IGI Airport, Delhi Customs has introduced electronic processing of documents relating to export of goods w.e.f. 1.11.1996.  The New Delhi Customs have issued Public Notice No.56/96 dt. 26.10.1996.  Later on Public Notice Nos. 42/98 dt. 3.9.1998, 40/98 dt. 21.9.1998 and 3/99 dt. 28.1.1999 have also been issued in this regard.  After its success at Air Cargo Complex of Delhi Customs House, the Indian Customs EDI system has been extended to Mumbai and ICD Tughlakabad and is implemented in a phase manner to cover other Customs Houses.